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Lemon Grass
Common name: Pirheghaans
Botanical Name: Cymbopogan flexuosus
Family: Graminae
Description
A perennial grass about 3m tall. Leaves linear-lanceolate, 125 cm long. 1.7 cm broad. Flowers grayish or grayish green, rarely purple tinged, in drooping panicles.
Flowering period: July-Sept
Parts used: Whole Plant
Distribution: Cultivated throughout plain area of Nepal.
Method of Extraction: Steam Distillation
| Specification of Lemon Grass |
| 1. Organoleptic Properties |
| Appearance |
Fluid liquid. |
| Color |
Deep yellow to orange-brown. |
| Aroma |
Fresh-grassy lemon-type. |
| 2. Physico-chemical Properties |
| Specific gravity |
0.8725 to 0.8965 at 25º C |
| Optical rotation |
[-] 1.25º to [-] 5º at 25º C. |
| Refractive index |
1.4850 to 1.4936 at 25º C |
| Acid number |
2 to 10 |
| Ester number |
15 to 40 |
| Ester number after acetylation |
220 to 260 |
| Solubility |
Soluble in 0.5 to 1.5 vol. of 80% alcohol |
| Citral content |
70 to 85% (Hydroxylamine hydrochloride method) |
3. Chemical constituent:
Herbs afford an essential oil containing Citral A and Citral B as major component and others are ά and β-pinene, camphene, limonene, linalol, nerol, geraniol and Geranyl Acetate. |
4. Uses:
- Plant is aromatic, stimulant, diaphortetic, anthelmintic and laxative. Leaves are chewed to cure sore gums. Oil is used as insect repellent.
- In flavors, cosmetics and perfumery
- Medicinal & Aromatherapy use:Athlete's foot, insect repellent, scabies, muscular aches and pains, poor circulation, insufficient milk in breast feeding mothers, colitis, indigestion, fevers, infections illness, headaches, nervous exhaustion and other stress related disorders.
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